From a tea plantation workers’ family to global scientific recognition: Meet the Nilgiris researcher turning waste into wealth

Dr Ashokkumar Veeramuthu, who grew up in a tea plantation workers’ family in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district, has featured in the Stanford–Elsevier global scientist rankings for four consecutive years, from 2023 to 2026. An alumnus of government schools, he specialises in waste management, plastic pollution control, biofuel production and renewable energy. His research explores ways to convert waste into valuable resources, while his international collaborations reflect his contribution to environmental science and sustainable technology development.